Boy George: ‘Mum was terrified people would attack me when I dressed up’

Boy George is best known for his musical career with Culture Club. The 62-year-old opens up about being close to his mother, his relationships and meeting his idol, Patti Smith.

“I went into many dysfunctional relationships. I have a better understanding of what love is and isn’t now.”

I was pretty close to my maternal grandmother, Bridgette Glynn. She was a powerful, formidable Irish woman who was taken off the streets in Ireland at the age of six and put into a children’s home. She didn’t see her family again after that. She met my grandfather, Frank, and married at 18. I always liked her but never understood her.

In the 1960s, she moved from Ireland to Birmingham. When I was 10 and first got into glam rock, I would wear satin pants and shirts and Marc Bolan T-shirts. She would try to get them off me to wash and then not return them.

My father, Jerry, was very controlling of my mum, Dinah. If Dad was violent, his mother – my paternal grandmother, Nan – would say to Mum, “Why do you upset him so much?”

I was always close to Mum. As a child I faked being ill to stay home with her, and because I hated school. I asked Mum why she allowed Dad to treat her so badly. She had six kids and no money; it wasn’t easy to leave.

Dad left her when I was in my 40s. There was a point when she moved out of their bedroom and into a separate room, and he found another woman. Mum never dated after Dad. She said she was done with men.

My sister, Siobhan, was the golden child. Mum had had five boys and was ready to give up trying for a girl, then she arrived. They had an amazing relationship.

As a kid, I loved David Bowie and punk rock. Mum was terrified that people would attack me when I dressed up so daringly. She thought I’d grow out of this phase but she became my collaborator and started making my clothes. She could copy patterns by famous designers to perfection.

When I first became famous, I was at the Paris Fashion Week show and wore a pair of bondage trousers that Mum had made me. They were a copy of Vivienne Westwood’s design with the Union Jack flag. Vivienne came up to me, said “Those aren’t mine”, and asked who’d made them. I said Mum. Vivienne inspected the trouser and said, “Tell your mum she did a great job.”
I loved Vivienne. She wasn’t uptight.

My first kiss was with a girl called Brenda. It happened at my brother Richard’s 18th birthday. I was 14. Brenda snogged me with a French kiss and I felt liberated by that experience.

My girlfriend Shelley and I had an innocent relationship in 1975, while I was in high school; we liked the same music and fashion. Nothing happened. Her mum took us into the kitchen one day to have a liberal chat with us as she thought Shelley had missed her period. I was dying from embarrassment. I came out when I was 15.

My longest relationship was the 11 years with my ex-partner, Michael Dunne. I consider him to be family. We are still close and holiday together. I feel good in his company. We had a very traumatic relationship, but there is still a lot of love there.

I also dated Culture Club’s Jon Moss. I didn’t know what I wanted or what love was when I was younger. Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of good love. I went into many dysfunctional relationships. I have a better understanding of what love is and isn’t now.

I was often in the same room as singer Patti Smith but was too terrified to go up to her. Then I was in a restaurant in New York with friends and she walked in and I thought, “This is my chance.” I had no make-up on and I said, “Sorry to bother you, Patti, but I am a massive fan.” She asked when had I grown my beard and said I looked handsome. I was chuffed.

I try to keep my private life private. I am in a relationship and it’s complicated. Let’s just say I am not lonely.

Culture Club will tour Australia from September 5 to 14.

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